The Significance of Interoceptive Fear in Assessment of Panic Disorder Patients.
- Author:
Taehun SUNG
1
;
Young Jin LIM
;
Bum Hee YU
;
Ji Hae KIM
Author Information
1. Department of Psychiatry, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. jihae0931@samsung.com
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Panic disorder;
Agoraphobia;
Interoceptive fear;
Panic disorder severity
- MeSH:
Agoraphobia;
Anxiety;
Cognition;
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders;
Humans;
Panic Disorder*;
Panic*;
Phobic Disorders;
Surveys and Questionnaires;
Sensation
- From:Journal of Korean Neuropsychiatric Association
2006;45(2):128-135
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVES: We investigated the significance of interoceptive fear in assessment of panic disorder (PD) patients. METHODS: 102 patients affected by PDs with (n=68) or without (n=34) agoraphobia according to DSM-IV criteria completed self-report questionnaires, such as Albany Panic and Phobia Questionnaire (APPQ), The Expanded Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI-R), Agoraphobic Cognitions Questionnaire (ACQ), Body Sensation Questionnaire (BSQ), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS). Pearson correlation analysis, stepwise regression analysis, paired t-test and independent t-test were used. RESULTS: All variables except BSQ were significantly correlated with panic severity. In stepwise regression analysis, interoceptive fear and catastrophic cognition were the most significant predicting variables for panic severity. After 3-months medication, all variables significantly diminished, but interoceptive fear and catastrophic cognition of panic patients were still significantly higher than normal control. CONCLUSION: Interoceptive fear is the fear of automatic sensations that are similar to those of a panic attack and is the most significant variable in predicting panic severity. After 3-months medication, interoceptive fear significantly decreased, but still was higher than the control group.
